Pages

Friday, March 2, 2012

We have been very lucky here in Knoxville considering the severe weather across the Southeast this week. We're under a tornado warning right now and have been under a tornado watch from noon today until 11pm tonight. But things have passed by us this week. A lot of folks have not been so lucky.

Somewhere between the storms this week, I managed to grill a few T-bones one night. I figured since I was doing a reverse sear and had about an hour of a 250f cook, I would try smoking some Yukon Gold potatoes for use in mashed potatoes.

Turned out to be a fail. Well, not a fail, they tasted fine. But I actually prefer our normal mashed potatoes, so the extra effort wasn't worth it that night. I think just roasting the garlic with the steaks would have gotten sufficient smokiness since potatoes have such a mild flavor anyway. So no recipe tonight.

I usually don't grill T-bones, I prefer ribeyes, strip, and fillet. But I got a good price on these at Sam's and couldn't resist. It's like they used some kind of Jedi Steak Mind Trick or something.

It all went into the Big Green Egg at 250f like this on one tray.

The steak was seasoned with just salt and pepper. I oiled and salted the Yukon Gold potatoes and just oiled the head of garlic. Slow roasted it until the steaks hit an internal temp of 130f. I then prepared my mashed potatoes as normal, including boiling the potatoes since they weren't close to being cooked yet.

I switched my Big Green Egg to direct heat. To get a good sear, I used a Spider Rig and a small Craycort cast iron grate to get close to the red hot coals. The reason I usually stay away from the T-bone is that the bone keeps you from getting even contact between the meat and grate, causing uneven sear marks.

Everything was good and the food disappeared. I just wouldn't follow the same process on the potatoes again, I'd just boil them and add smoke roasted garlic.

Sometimes I like smooth mashed potatoes, but normally I like ours thick and rustic. I leave the skin on about every third potato and just coarsely mash them with some sour cream, butter, heavy cream, salt, pepper and garlic. Very basic. If I have Boursin cheese, I like to add some of that and cut the cream/butter.

How do you like your mashed potatoes, smooth or coarse? Any special tricks that you like to use for yours?

@ Big Green Eggic: I think it's a matter of preference. Both utilize a "hot and fast" cook paired with a lower temp cook to get an evenly cooked steak. My preference is the reverse sear for steaks and roasts. I feel like it gives me better control of the final internal temperature AND the surface doneness of the steak.

But again, it's all a matter of preference. Neither is wrong and I also still like a regular grilled steak done hot and fast, start to finish. Give it a shot and see which you like. (You can read more about reverse sear here: http://www.ironpigbbq.com/Reverse-Sear.html and http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/searing_steaks.html)

I like to add either buttermilk or cream cheese..with just a little butter and salt and pepper. I can go either way - sometimes I like the consistency of whipped potatoes and sometimes I like the chunks (esp. if there is gravy involved. Your steaks look wonderful!

Had I offered to cook potatoes like this, Bev would say "you know, I don't like everything smoked." I like my potatoes whipped, hand mashed smooth, hand mashed chunky, smashed, barely smashed, mashed on my plate with a fork - you get the picture. Your steaks look very good. We took one direct hit yesterday, but not one of the bad ones, lots of rain and a little small hail.

@Jerimiah: That sounds good to me. I liked the garlic roasted in mine, just not the potatoes too smoky. I also like your idea of tarragon.

@Becki: Yep, me too, I'm fine as long as they aren't instant, lol.

@Jeannie: Yes, we are, thanks! It's a quiet beautiful morning and all the birds are singing.

@Greg: All is well here, thanks!

@Don: I like the sound of that one, I'll have to check it out.

@Larry: We thought about ya'll last night when Ken Schwall was on by phone on WBIR, saying he was in his basement in Greenback as the worst passed over. Glad y'all are okay too! See you guys tonight at Bev and AJ's.

Those T-bones are a sight for sore eyes. Weather here is still not inspiring me to grill. We're having lots of quick moving snow showers...then we send them your direction where the warmer air turns them into a mess. I've been watching all the horrible news reports and destruction. Growing up in Kansas, I'm scared to death of tornados. Anyway, stay safe!

My favourite mashed potatoes are when someone else makes them! Mine come out gluey sometimes and I'm pretty sure it's because I use a hand mixer (but I like them smooth). My Mom always used one when I was growing up and hers were never gluey. It's embarrassing that I have so much trouble with something so simple like mashed potatoes, lol.

Glad y'all are safe & sound Chris - these have been some tragic weather days this past week. We had some very bad storms offshore and just north of us, so we stayed pretty much is the middle, overcast but thankfully no weather problems though we were under tornado warnings. I wanted to cook out today myself but was afraid that soon as I started a downpour would pop up.

I mostly like my mashed potatoes pretty creamy, but I do them several different ways, mostly depending on what the meal plan is.

Storms have been awful this year. Our little mountain town was hit pretty hard over the weekend, main grocery store damaged, our favorite feed store for herbs and annuals destroyed and more. Wish we were there to help. My heart goes out to the people in Alabama who were hit for the second time in two years. Yes, we do have a lot to be thankful for.Sam